[outdoorsman43]

This is a thread to put how you are doing this spring season chasing turkeys.

Include in your post..
- The date that you went hunting.
- The temperature and weather conditions.
- How much gobbling you heard.
- How many turkeys you seen.
- If you bagged one.

[outdoorsman43]

Opening day was pretty slow for me. The weather and conditions were ideal and the temperature was about 43 degrees at daylight, but warmed up quick to about 75 degrees by noon.

My father, grandfather, brother, and I heard few gobbles off the roost at daylight. After about 7:00, things slowed down even more. We got a gobbler to sound off around 8:30 this morning. He was receptive to our calls but wouldn't move. He eventually got "henned up" again around 9:00 and that was all we heard out of him the rest of the day.

We left the woods around 2:30 this afternoon empty-handed.

[Bobcat Player]

Saturday morning it was about 39 degrees and i heared 4 gobbling. Sunday at about 10:30 it was pouring the rain and one came into me. i killed it. it was 24 pounds with a 12 inch beard and the spurs was a inch and a half.

[outdoorsman43]

This morning was a bummer to be in the woods. The cold front has just kicked in after a day of rain yesterday. It was around 55 degrees this morning at daylight and overcast skies were above us with a few sprinkles of rain here and there. My father, grandfather, and never heard the first gobble. The turkeys were down low today in the bottom of the hollows. Never seen one on the ridge tops. We left the hills around noon.

I'm going to take a break and go back to class (because I have to) for the next couple of days and let the warm weather settle back in. Thursday, Friday, and Saturday will be ideal conditions if anyone is planning on going those days.

[i know, right?]

The turkey's being down low really messed with my turkey hunting spots!
Mine were up high and they was down low

[outdoorsman43]

Another slow day in the spring woods.

We had a few gobbling off the roost. The closest turkey was about 500 yards, so we quickly moved to him and got set up. After about 20 minutes, all the birds quit gobbling and the frustration returned. It was a chilly morning, about 40 degrees at daylight. Warmed up to around 55 with a little help from the sun by 11:00 this morning. We left around noon again without hearing another gobble. We seen a total of four turkey (all toms), but were all too far for us to get a good set up.

We had a few interruptions this morning with some dogs and four-wheelers (nothing makes me madder when I'm trying to hunt than encountering dogs and ATV's). With that being said, I was more than ready to leave the woods at noon.

Weather will warm up tomorrow and stay hot throughout the weekend. Maybe this weekend will be better.

[outdoorsman43]

My father, my good friend, and I slipped in to our spot before daylight this morning. It was about 60 degrees at daylight, very warm out. We heard a few off the roost and tried to chase them. It didn't work out.

I basically, have had the same story to tell every time I have went hunting this season. I believe there are a lot of hens still walking around and are staying with the gobblers all day (which is causing the lack of gobbling). Here in about a week, I expect a good amount of hens to be on their nests and the gobbling action to heat up.

My father, my brother, and I plan to hunt our honey hole (that hasn't been touched this year) tomorrow. If we have no luck, I will be surprised.

[outdoorsman43]

Went out the the honey hole yesterday morning (without any luck of course) and returned home frustrated. Heard a little more gobbling than the past few mornings, but nothing significant. Had a tom answer my yelp around 8:40 or so. We quickly set up and started some light calling. He shut up after a couple more gobbles.

The hens are still not on the nest and probably won't be for another couple or three days. Next weekend, everyone should see drastic improvement and more birds answering calls and coming in closer. This has been a pretty frustrating season for me so far. My father has been lucky enough to bag a tom (last Tuesday) that weighed 19 lbs., had a 10 1/2 inch beard, and carried a 3/4 inch set of hooks. It was probably a 2-year old turkey. Other than that, my family hasn't called any other turkeys in. I only know of a few bagged birds by my buddies in the first week (which is unusual).

Next weekend should be the start of the fun.

[outdoorsman43]

My week long break is over and my father, brother, and I went out this morning to where my father had taken one about a week and a half ago. Conditions weren't great. Constant, drizzly rain and a high temperature of about 62 degrees. We heard a few gobbles off the roost (probably two or three different birds). That was it and that was all.

I've talked to many hunters over the past week and I have the overall assumption that the turkeys are just now starting to respond good to calling. Action was about two weeks later than normal this spring. I'm guessing because of the cold weather we've had all up until the last three or four weeks. I will hopefully be missing some days of class and return to the woods some this week. The 10-day forecast doesn't look great weatherwise, but I'll see if I can manage.

I've killed at least one turkey for the last four years and I'm hoping the streak doesn't end this season. My father has killed one the last three years (including this season). My brother hasn't bagged one in three seasons.

[baseballfan]

Im about to head out this morning and conditions are not great, theres goin to be a drizzly rain all day but i have not hunted much this season and needs to go, so i will tell you what happened later.

[baseballfan606]

opening morning i went out and heard 6 diff. turkeys after i hooted the first time. I sat there and they stopped around 8:30.

I went to reach for my call on the ground and a gobbler flew right by me. It came in silent.

But my uncle killed a monster the follow day. inch spear 11inch bear 26 pound.

[baseballfan606]

opening morning i went out and heard 6 diff. turkeys after i hooted the first time. I sat there and they stopped around 8:30.

I went to reach for my call on the ground and a gobbler flew right by me. It came in silent.

But my uncle killed a monster the follow day. inch spear 11inch bear 26 pound.

spurs*

[baseballfan]

Didn't have no luck the other day. Didn't hear a gobble but seen 2 hens and that was all. IMO to much rain for them 2 say much. But i will be goin back tomorrow to try and bag 1.

[baseballfan]

Me and a buddy headed out this mornin. They said a little for the 1st hour off the roost then the rain came and they said nuttin. So we drove around just hitten spots and finally spotted one about 500 yards away. So we snuck up on it and it and got way to close cause when we hit the call his gobble would put you death. We sat down real fast and my buddy ended up killen him. Killed him about 1 clock today. Me and him will head back out Friday to bag another one.

[outdoorsman43]

Yesterday was probably the best overall trip of the season for me. Conditions were nice: partly cloudy skies with calm winds and a high of 74 degrees. Gobblers were receptive to calls and we heard a lot of gobbling activity. The only problem was the number of hens still not on the nest. We heard probably a total of three or four hens yelping and cutting throughout the trip. The gobblers still seemed to have been henned up. I was just glad they were finally recpetive to calls.

This has probably been the slowest year since I have been chasing toms. The season only lasts three more days, so I still have a chance! But how good that chance is, that's aside the point. I have classes today but may return to the woods this evening (weather permitting). I know for sure I will be out Saturday and Sunday.

Hope everyone else has done better than I have.

[outdoorsman43]

Both entrances to our hunting club were/are blocked due to rock slides and fallen trees. A lot will have to be done to clean all of that up.

I doubt I will be hunting tomorrow; so the season is over for me. My father bagged one turkey and that was all for my party. I had a few buddies that were lucky enough to take a couple birds. This was the toughest season that I have ever experienced. There were and still are too many hens walking around. Hens laid their eggs late this year (most hens are in the process of laying eggs currently). This was the reason that minimal gobbling activity was heard and gobblers were extremely hard to call up this spring.

Maybe next season will be better.

[outdoorsman43]

How did everyone else do this season?

[Skinner]

Any pictures of birds taken?